Hot Cell Design Engineer (Nuclear)

Location: Santa Clara, California, or remote within the United States. Remote employees must travel to the Santa Clara headquarters twice per quarter based on business or team needs, and must work onsite there for the first two weeks of onboarding.

Salary: $80,000–$180,000 per year, depending on experience.

Company

hirify.global develops fast fission power plants, nuclear fuel recycling technologies, and domestic supply chains for critical radioisotopes.

What you will do

• Lead or support the mechanical and systems design of radiological hot cells for used nuclear fuel recycling.
• Define equipment and material layouts, transfer pathways, shielding, ventilation, confinement, and maintenance access strategies.
• Integrate remote handling technologies, including manipulators, cameras, cranes, and robotics.
• Collaborate with mechanical, nuclear, chemical, structural, HVAC, instrumentation, process, licensing, and safety engineers.
• Participate in FMEA, hazard analyses, radiological safety assessments, design reviews, procurement specifications, and commissioning plans.
• Support prototyping, testing, installation, and commissioning of hot cell subsystems.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in radiological facility design, glovebox or hot cell engineering, or radiological material handling.
• Strong knowledge of remote handling systems, robotics, or manipulator technologies.
• Understanding of radiation shielding, criticality safety, and radiological protection standards.
• Strong systems engineering, problem-solving, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate across engineering, licensing, and safety functions.

Nice to have

• Experience with hot cells in nuclear fuel cycle, isotope production, or defense facilities.
• Proficiency with CAD tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or Inventor and engineering drawing standards.
• Knowledge of NRC, DOE, and nuclear facility regulatory requirements.
• Hands-on experience with mockups, prototyping, or commissioning of radiological systems.
• Experience coordinating vendors, A&E firms, or project management activities.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment with significant autonomy.
• Collaborative, multidisciplinary culture focused on shared ownership and transparent communication.
• Flexible time off, flexible work hours, equity, and competitive pay.
• 401(k), health insurance, FSA, and other benefits.
• Employment may be contingent on successful completion of a drug screening, with testing possible in accordance with company policy and applicable laws.